Personal Loans Surge to Historic Highs

Personal loans in the U.S. have reached historic highs in terms of interest rates, balances, and the number of loans. Over 23 million Americans currently hold unsecured personal loans, at an average balance of nearly $12,000. The average personal loan interest rate rose to 12.35% in Q1 2024, nearly 3% higher than three years ago. After a dip during the early COVID-19 pandemic, personal loan debt reached over $230 billion by June 2023, a 46% increase from March 2020 and 59% higher than June 2021, which has since come down to just under $150 billion by March 2024.